<p>... Okay that story just scared the living **** out of me, lol.</p>
<p>holy. freaking. crap.</p>
<p>Check your inbox, WorriedSenior.</p>
<p>& Jakor, because now it's things like the SATs that determine your future. It's that and all the other pressure that really makes you think about doing stuff like this so you can get where you wanna be with extra help. It's pretty sad.</p>
<p>There are other reasons not to take Adderall. One is a little-known side effect called depersonalization. My D has been diagnosed with ADHD. She spends a great deal of time doing the tasks that take you a little while. She can't focus, and had a lot of trouble finishing things. She was given an RX for Strattera in 6th grade. In contrast to those of you who dont need these drugs, she was knocked out. Slept for hours and couldn't wake up. Even if we gave it to her before bed, it made her tired all the next day. Coffee can do the same thing to her. She decided to go unmedicated and tough it out. At any rate, when academics became really hard again, with algebra 2 and chemistry, we tried her on Adderall. It used to take her 4 hours to finish her chem homework. That first day, she sat and did it all without distraction in an hour. But her personality seemed blunted. No spark. After only 2 days on Adderall, she got an awful side effect called depersonaliztion. It's the feeling that you are not in your own body, or that you are unreal. For my D, it came with a strange disturbing physical sensation; the feeling that everything she touched was made out of the same material, and was moving. 2 days. That's all the adderall she took, and the side effect lasted well over a month. She is terrified of taking anything now. She takes advil, but that's about it. We have since found out that it can be caused by a variety of drugs, many of the ADHD drugs among them. But surprisingly, there are antibiotics and antihistamines on the list, too. She had the same effect from the antibiotic Minocyclin. My D again deals with her ADHD unmedicated, because it's just not worth it. Be careful.</p>
<p>I didn't mean for that story to scare you to death. Adderall won't kill you unless you try really hard. Please don't go calling 911 if you hear your friend took an Adderall. Be cool.</p>
<p>I just wanted to make sure you all knew that it's still dangerous to believe Adderall is safe. You should not assume that Adderall is okay or safe, just because it's a prescription drug, or because it's not immediately addictive, or because a little bit of it feels good and helps. Every good thing has a bad side. I'll admit that I still like Adderall, and I still take it, but I now recognize what it has done/continues to do to me, and I'm a s***load more careful with myself. I don't consider it a study aid. I recognize that it actually WORSENS my mental function, something I should have caught on to a long time ago. I now consider it to be something like alcohol. Would you take a test drunk?</p>
<p>My intention in posting on this thread was to make you think twice before using this sort of stuff. I personally am OK with drug use (I don't equate it to drug abuse 100% of the time). But compromising your standards (and waving off the real mental costs) for the sake of a standardized test? Ridiculous.</p>
<p>P.S. Here's some irony for you. The above poster wrote,
[quote]
My D has been diagnosed with ADHD. She spends a great deal of time doing the tasks that take you a little while.
[/quote]
Ironically, I have those problems now as a result of my taking Adderall. I spend forever reading over and over sentences I've written. I've edited this post at least 5 or 6 times. I used to really enjoy the ability to concentrate manically--the ability Adderall gave me when I first started taking it. Now, I can't shake it off. Do you really want that?</p>
<p>lol. It's just adderall. As long as you aren't stupid you should be fine.</p>
<p>Your cheating when you use drugs to give yourself an unfair advantage.</p>
<p>Oh boo hoo. If he feels he needs to use drugs, then let him. It's nobody's buisness but his.</p>
<p>I don't think collegeboard would approve of it.</p>
<p>We aren't supposed to talk about the test or the essay but we are.</p>
<p>Its not like we are cheating, now is it? How is this going to help us do better on a test we already took. I think that rule is more for talking about it during breaks. Talking about it won't give us an unfair advantage like a drug.</p>
<p>If you illegally obtain Adderall or any of those other ADHD drugs, and you get caught, you can kiss college goodbye. Aside from the stupidity of taking it if you're not ADHD, and the risk of the side effects, it just isn't worth it. If you can't concentrate, work on improving study habits and your diet (eating a lot of sugar and simple carbs will screw up your concentration, but protein is good for it). Don't do something dumb and illegal that can screw up your future.</p>
<p>For the record I have a family member on Adderall XR, and unless he takes Zoloft along with it each morning, the emotional roller coaster that he goes on when it wears off is awful. Crying, whining, just tortured emotionally. But he's metabolized out of other ADHD drugs (major hyperactivity and inattention) and this one works best for him. Just a shame he has to take a Zoloft to keep from having a meltdown every night.</p>
<p>
[quote]
lol. It's just adderall. As long as you aren't stupid you should be fine.
[/quote]
That's my attitude on most days...hence why I still take it. Still, it irks me when kids take this crap when thinking it's some magic study aid, like another prep book or something.</p>
<p>Also, I don't think the "is it cheating?" question is as black-and-white as some of you make it seem. Adderall doesn't affect intelligence, just attention span. Is coffee wrong? I'm pretty sure everyone would agree coffee is fine. Well, what about caffeine pills? And if caffeine pills are OK, then what about ADD meds? I don't think there is an easy answer. The idea that it's ethically wrong or that it's "cheating" just because it's illegal is not enough for me, logically. If you tell me, "Don't do it because it's illegal," then you have a point. But if you tell me, "It's wrong because it's illegal," then you won't get any sympathy from me, because the law is pretty darn fallible.</p>
<p>"Its not like we are cheating, now is it? How is this going to help us do better on a test we already took. I think that rule is more for talking about it during breaks. Talking about it won't give us an unfair advantage like a drug. "</p>
<p>Some people take the test on Sundays and this gives them an unfair advantage.</p>
<p>They don't take the same test. I wouldn't think collegeboard would be that dumb.</p>
<p>Yeah, the CB has common sense, they don't use the same test on Sunday.</p>
<p>You do know that we're not supposed to discuss the test until the results are given, yet you do. Maybe CB expects its test takers to follow the rules and not blab.</p>
<p>are you sure?</p>
<p>FootballPlayer, just look at the order of the sections from the January test date.
<a href="http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/after/highlights.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/after/highlights.html</a></p>
<p>Sorry to interrupt your discussion of alternate test dates...but how is all this relevant to the question at hand? Ie, ADD meds and standardized testing?</p>
<p>(I was tempted to refer to ADD meds as "performance enhancing" but their performance enhancing effects may or may not even exist; some would say they are detrimental.)</p>