Reflection

After the research I have done on Adderall, I learned it was a helpful drug. It is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. ADHD is a condition where someone is hyperactive, impulsive, and has a difficult time to pay attention. Narcolepsy is when someone falls asleep anywhere they feel comfortable. 

Adderall helps bring neurotransmitters back to the brain. This allows the user to be more focused on a task they are doing. Benefits of taking Adderall are it deals with ADHD, narcolepsy, and helps you study extra harder for a test you have. But the risks are that too much can lead to death, it can get addictive, and is illegal without a prescription. 


I believe the drug shouldn’t be taken if they don’t have ADHD or narcolepsy. But if the user does have ADHD or narcolepsy, they are able to gain control of their life again. They won’t be out of control or falling asleep every time. This drug should be monitored so people can’t abuse it.

Conclusion

Adderall is a drug to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). It includes amphetamine and dextroamphetamine which restores the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. It helps the user stay awake or focus on the material they are studying. A few side effects can include uneven heartbeats, nausea, anxiety, and etc. 

Pros of taking Adderall are it helps deal with ADHD, it can help you study hard for a test, and it can help you stay up if you have narcolepsy. The cons are that it is addictive, too high of a dose can kill you, and if you take it without a prescription, it is illegal. There are a lot of risks for this drug and should only be taken if you actually have the disorders it is meant to treat.

Legal Issues

While Adderall is a drug to treat ADHD, it is getting abused by college students to get better test scores. 

It is considered a DEA schedule II substance which makes it easy to abuse or lead to psychological harm. Students use it because it makes the user feel as if they are alert, concentrated, or motivated. They use it as a study aide so they can do well on their tests. They can study for hours because the drug keeps them up. Students get the drug from a dealer or they can fake they have ADHD. 

It is dangerous because they can get addicted and is a prescription drug. If the dose taken is too high, it can lead to high blood pressure, seizure, coma, or death. Although this is a huge problem that is constantly growing, it is easy to fake having ADHD. By claiming they have ADHD, they can easily get the drug and distribute it.

~Jesper Kim

Effects of Adderall

Although it is a very popular drug among high-schoolers and college students, Adderall has a wide range of side effects. These side effects will impact your emotional, mental, social, and physical health. But first, lets look at the symptoms that show if you or your loved one is abusing adderall.

Abuse Symptoms

A common abuse among teens is to use adderall to stay up late. This is very common especially during midterms or finals. Those who also abuse adderall experience a loss of appetite and weight loss. 
It is also possible for one to get seizures because of taking adderall in excess. You should also take care to not overdose. Know the signs of an overdose. These are hallucinations and uncontrollable shaking. 

Effects of Adderall Abuse

You are more likely to have an overdose if you abuse Adderall. You risk the possibility of being put in a coma. Also in teens, it holds the possibility of stunting growth. Because of the nature of the drug, it can be extremely detrimental if one becomes addicted to it. 

You begin to develop addictive tendencies and will even steal to get the drug. You might experience severe headaches, seizures, intense shaking, hallucinations, and other things if you are addicted. 

People in college hold a higher risk of trying amd becoming dependent on Adderall because of the stress level amd work load there. 

Abuse can also lead to depression and suicidal thoughts or actions. It is very important that you not abuse Adderall and only take it if you need it. Make sure your loved ones get help if this does occur.

~Gabby Fox

The History of Adderall

Adderall is a drug commonly used to help people who have ADHD. The chemical formula is C9H13N.

It is a mix of amphetamines and dextroamphetamine. These lead to an increase in levels of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Norepinephrine raises blood pressure while dopamine controls the brain's reward and pleasure centers.









Adderall is mostly prescribed for people who have ADHD but it is also used for weight loss because it suppresses appetite and stimulates metabolism. It is also abused because when taken, it can produce a high.

Some common names for adderall are zing, study buddies, or smart pills. Adderall is mostly given over the counter and is prescribed by your doctor. It was discovered in the 1900s as a treatment for obesity, a medication called Obetrol, by Rexar Pharmacal. In 1994, Richard Pharmaceutical Company purchased Rexar Pharmacal and changed Obetrol to Adderall. 


Adderall is a mixture of several salts: amphetamine aspartate monohydrate, amphetamine sulfate, dextroamphetamine sulfate, and dextroamphetime saccharine. It is made as both an immediate release drug and an extended release drug. Adderall is a stimulant that is used to suppress hyperactivity and impulse control. 

~Gabrielle Fox

Works Cited

"Adderall: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Safety Info - Drugs.com." Adderall: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Safety Info - Drugs.com. Drugs.com, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

"Adderall Oral : Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

"Adderall (Amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine Mixed Salts) Drug Information: Description, User Reviews, Drug Side Effects, Interactions - Prescribing Information at RxList." RxList. RxList Inc, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

History of ADHD

Before we can talk about Adderall, we must first discuss ADHD. The reason for this is because Adderall is what helps those who have ADHD.

Now lets us begin.

ADHD is the most common childhood disorder and can last from adolescence into adulthood. Some symptoms are difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity.

Children with ADHD who carry a particular version of a certain gene have thinner brain tissue in the areas of the brain related to attention. Cigarette smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy has been linked to ADHD in children. Children who have suffered a brain injury can show similar behaviors to ADHD.

Key Behaviors: Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. 

Inattention: easily distracted, miss details, have difficulty focusing, doesn't listen when spoken to, struggle to follow instructions, easily confused 

Hyperactivity: fidget in their seats, talk nonstop, play with everything in sight, always be in motion, and have difficulty doing quiet activities

Impulsivity: impatient, blurt out inappropriate comments without thinking, and interrupt conversations. 

-Jesper Kim

Works Cited

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." NIMH RSS. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

"ADD and ADHD Center: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Tests, and Treatments."WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2015.

Introduction

Hello! My name is Dong Woo Kim but people call me Jesper Kim. I am currently 16 years old and love school. I was born in South Korea and came to the United States when i was two years old. I like to read books and watch movies. I learned Taekwondo for three years and like to play soccer. When I grow up, I would like to be a computer engineer.
I picked this drug because I have a friend who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Adderall is used as medication to treat ADHD because it helps increase the ability to pay attention and concentrate. I always see him take it and it immediately calms him down. But when he skips a dose, he ends up jumping on walls. It always amazed me how a little pill can make him go from crazy to calm.

The title given to me as name at birth is Gabrielle Fox. I have lived on this earth for 16 summers. As I grow old, I am going to be a therapist for mentally ill adolescents. To pass the limited amount of time I have on this earth, I dabble in poetry, read literature, and fill my ears with the musical sounds produced by others.
I did not choose adderall, it came to me in a vision. Just as a prophet come down for me to educate the masses on what the drug is. I humbly accepted this daunting task. But I first must focus on myself. "What do I know about adderall?", i asked myself. As I delved into the depths of my brain, I found it to be desolate. This vast nothingness is what guides me on this quest today.