As finals season begins, you will always hear about some person in college telling a story to his friend about how he bought some Adderall and stayed awake studying until four in the morning. We all know somebody who has taken Adderall before when it wasn’t prescribed to them, so why isn’t anybody realizing that this is a problem?

Knowing people who actually have been diagnosed with A.D.D., I have seen them struggle with either receiving the medication they need to go about their day or not having administrations believe them when they say they need accommodations for a project. One of my very dear friends who has A.D.D. struggled to be able to receive her medication in Minnesota because she was diagnosed in her home state, the next over. Why do we see so many non-diagnosed people using drugs like that? In a study of 1,800 college students, it was found that "81% of students interviewed thought the illicit use of ADHD medication was "not dangerous at all" or "slightly dangerous”. If people are seeing this pill and not highlighting any dangerous side-effects or consequences of using that pill, why wouldn't they be more prone to using it to the point where they often abuse it. In my personal opinion, if I had the chance to be able to increase my academic performance by simply using a small pill that had absolutely no repercussions...I would most likely be using that pill to help me complete my studies. However, I understand the complications and the background of what happens when someone does use these pills, therefore I do not.

I think that a lot of people who take Adderall without a diagnosed medical need for it simply don't understand how increasingly difficult it can be for someone who relies on the medication to get through their day. If you saw how many times someone has to be calling and waiting for the mail while constantly going to get tested over and over again, maybe you'd think twice about using it. Maybe not. A lot of times, it seems like even when people do know someone who has A.D.D. and has told them that they need their medicine to be at a "normal" starting point like other neuro-typical people, they're met with defensive statements. Statements like "Well, I have trouble focusing too!", as if that's really the best argument for their use of it. My friend went to at least two different doctors, even after having her old doctor from a different state try and help her, but it took her at least a month into the school year before she got her prescription filled. People who don’t know what it means to actually have A.D.D. and actually have a beneficial drug to do that, are usually those who are most callous to the struggle. These are the people that are the problem as they make it so hard for people to get their medication. Someone who thinks that they’re worthy of taking Adderall, Vyvanse, or Ritalin should realistically look at how much damage they're inflicting on people who actually need it. Even if you only do those kinds of drugs around once or twice a semester, you’re still contributing and reaping the benefits of prescription abuse.

The problem also lies with those who are selling pills as well. People who are selling pills are also contributing to the problematic and abusive cycle that is allowing others to abuse medication that isn't for their health. I see some people, who do have A.D.D. and have a prescription to fill out Adderall, and yet they are constantly selling their pills for some spare cash. I truly do not understand why they would go off and continue the epidemic and cycle of letting neuro-typical people abuse their pills. Either way, you're a part of the problem and you're continuing to give people the resources to cheat in the academic world while also simultaneously hurting those who do have attention and focusing problems.

It’s usually the same people, who very infrequently abuse these stimulant drugs, who also don't understand the impacts that their actions make.

Just because you decided to go to Sally's instead of studying or mismanaged your time elsewhere, that does not be you can take these drugs simply because it gives you an excuse to be slightly ahead of your peers. By doing this, you're cheating in the worst way possible. Yes, cheating. Maybe you don't care what people think about you but you should at least think back to how you're a part of this horrible cycle.

I’m writing this article because it’s not fair that those valuable prescriptions can either help someone from forgetting why they walked into the room five times or help you think faster on a test. The drug should only be distributed to those who really need it to function on a daily basis. I would really love to know why people still think it’s okay to abuse drugs that are not intended for their issues but will not do anything to look at how they could be damaging something valuable for others.