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129 points surprisetalk | 8 comments | | HN request time: 0.904s | source | bottom
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notepad0x90 ◴[] No.45962280[source]
amphetamines feel a lot like people putting NO2 on their cars, or overclocking their computers. You might just fine in the end, but the likelihood of wear & tear catching up to you increases. It should be treated just like any other medicine, don't use it unless you really have to, and expect adverse effect (known or unknown).
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1. throwuxiytayq ◴[] No.45962860[source]
Amphetamines are safe, well-studied and non-addictive at prescribed doses. On the other hand, untreated ADHD VASTLY increases likelihood of addiction and many mental disorders.

Definitely DO use this medication if you need it - it's the first medication your doctor will likely ask you to try precisely because an extensive body of research says it's the most effective way for treating ADHD.

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2. graemep ◴[] No.45963591[source]
The "if you need it" is important.

1. People take it as a study drug, without prescription.

2. There may be over medication. Doctors will sometimes feel pushed to prescribe (as is known to happen with antibiotics)

3. At an individual level that is true, but you may need it because of your society and environment. Both ADHD rates and treatment varies between countries (even between regions and states within countries) and has varied a lot over time, which implies some external factor affects it.

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3. notepad0x90 ◴[] No.45966256[source]
> at prescribed doses

If you're getting Adderall from "a guy I know" instead of with a prescription, that's the problem. you keep taking more until you're satisfied.

4. mr_00ff00 ◴[] No.45968733[source]
“non-addictive at prescribed doses”

Less likely to be addictive, definitely not non-addictive.

https://talbottcampus.com/resources/how-adderall-addiction-s...

This has the same energy as the common incorrect statement “marijuana isn’t addictive”. I assume made by frequent users who want to downplay negatives.

5. mr_00ff00 ◴[] No.45968773[source]
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna95111

1 out of every 5 Ivy League students is prescribed stimulants.

I think it’s time we stop pretending like prescriptions magically mean the substance isn’t abused or is truly needed.

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6. trashface ◴[] No.45970920[source]
Not sure about over-medication. I think about all the people I used to work with that were absolutely addicted to caffeine, just to get through the day. And the work we were doing (software) didn't seem _that_ boring to me. Some of most hardcore caffeine addicts were from when I worked briefly in game dev (and that was my own peak usage too; now I can't drink coffee due to acid reflux, its also bad for my eyes because I have glaucoma now).

I think untreated attention issues (if not the rather narrowly defined condition labeled "ADHD") are rather widespread. And society doesn't help, just look at the checklist of things you need to do on an ongoing basis to just keep a vehicle running for transport in the US, which pretty much everybody outside a city needs, and even many city dwellers elect to procure as well.

7. FatherOfCurses ◴[] No.45994329{3}[source]
"1 out of every 5 Ivy League students is prescribed stimulants."

From the third paragraph of the article:

"Researchers analyzed responses from an online questionnaire of more than 600 Ivy League sophomores, juniors and seniors who were not diagnosed with ADHD — attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder — and therefore did not have a prescription for the medication. Writing essays and studying for an exam cause the most angst for students — of those who used stimulants, 69 percent said they used them to stay focused while writing and 66 percent said they used the drugs to help study."

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8. mr_00ff00 ◴[] No.46060456{4}[source]
Fair point, I was incorrect on the exact stat. But it is still very very high for legal prescriptions in the article compared to general populous.