Ritalin and other ADHD medications are a popular drug among teens and young adults – not because they’re chasing an altered state of mind, but because they need the mental kick from the stimulants. Come exam time, these drugs are almost as ubiquitous as coffee and energy drinks on campus, but those who rely on these stimulants to perform well are at risk for serious health issues.
A study from the United States’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed that ADHD drugs was responsible for sending nearly 23,000 young adults to the emergency room in 2011. This number is more than a quadruple increase from 2005, when only 5,600 similar emergency room visits took place. The study looked at a population of 18 – 34 year olds, but observed that the dramatic rise in ER visits was evident among 18 – 25 year olds.
What’s causing the spike?
The way I see it, there is one good reason that explains this dramatic rise in ADHD drug-related ER visits, which has also been verified by the study: the easy access to Ritalin and other similar medicines. According to data from IMS Health, there were 48.4 million prescriptions for ADHD medications written in 2011 in the United States, a 39% increase from the prescriptions made in 2007.
It’s not surprising then that the SAMHSA report showed that over 50% college-aged young adults obtained their stimulants from a relative or friend with a prescription, for absolutely no charge. An additional 17% said that they purchased their medications from someone they knew.
Stimulants are a dangerous study aid
When kids without ADHD take drugs to study, they put themselves at risk for a number of dangerous side effects. The active ingredient of Ritalin is methylphenidate, which causes short-term side effects like blurred vision, nervous tics, nausea, and headaches.
While these symptoms are nothing to run to the emergency room for, frequent use of these drugs makes a person immune to its effects, which makes them seek larger doses to get the desired brain boost. Heavier use of methylphenidate can develop more serious side effects that include psychotic symptoms. Severe damage to the heart and blood vessels have also been observed among young adults dependent on these study pills. The most extreme side effects of these drugs are suicide, as was shown by the tragic case of Richard fee, who killed himself while he was reportedly dependent on Adderall.
A rising trend
These numbers are startling, but they’re not a new phenomenon, particularly to university administrators. In 2008, a survey done at the University of Kentucky reported that 34% students use ADHD stimulants to get ahead with their studies.
New findings also show that college students aren’t the only ones turning to these drugs. A report from New York Magazine shows that modafinil, a stimulant designed to treat narcolepsy, is becoming popular among young professionals after getting endorsements from efficiency professionals like Timothy Ferris, author of the 4-Hour Work Week. An increase in the use of Adderall and Ritalin at work has also been reported by Time Magazine in 2009.
Proper ADHD evaluation is needed
So where do these discoveries leave high school graduates who, when confronted by the challenges of university-level study, become convinced that they need these drugs to succeed? A number of college health centers now impose a waiting period before prescriptions for ADHD medications are issued, since students who need the drug for recreational use need them quickly. Other college health centers simply refuse to diagnose ADHD and instead, refer students to other professionals who might be able to help them.
Hopefully, research generated by SAMHSA and other organizations will inspire more universities to be on high alert for ADHD drug abuse. I’m also hoping that other professionals will be honorable and exercise greater caution before diagnosing patients with ADHD and writing a prescription to treat it. My practice uses a complex testing method to evaluate a child for ADHD and its causes. And based on these findings, I determine a holistic treatment plan designed to address the causes at the root. This lets my patients avoid the dangerous side effects caused by medication while equipping them with skills needed to manage ADHD for life.
