The good grade pill

<p>Thanks shrink rap, I’ll have my daughter translate it for me.
:)</p>

<p>^ Good! She can translate for me too!</p>

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<p>In Germany they found it helps with schIzophrenia.
[Marijuana</a> Compound Treats Schizophrenia with Few Side Effects: Clinical Trial | Healthland | TIME.com](<a href=“http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/30/marijuana-compound-treats-schizophrenia-with-few-side-effects-clinical-trial/]Marijuana”>Marijuana Compound Treats Schizophrenia with Few Side Effects: Clinical Trial | TIME.com)</p>

<p>I am pretty sure most countries find it is associated with a worse outcome. Looking for the reference.</p>

<p>This is in the lay press. Looking for the original</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.psmag.com/health/the-cannabis-and-schizophrenia-conundrum-10218/[/url]”>http://www.psmag.com/health/the-cannabis-and-schizophrenia-conundrum-10218/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This might be the orginal</p>

<p><a href=“http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=210748[/url]”>http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=210748&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>an update</p>

<p><a href=“http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211301[/url]”>http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=211301&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But “Translational Psychiatry” has some interesting stuff.</p>

<p>Wait…what were we talking about?</p>

<p>I hate;) to get off track again, but I think the kind of marijuana used really influences the brains response. I have fibromyalgia & arthritis and am in a great deal of pain, but I don’t like feeling “high”. I buy from a dispensary that breaks down the strains into chemical composition, and chose ones that have high CBD and low THC.
[A</a> New Marijuana Plant Without the High? It Could Be Good Medicine | Healthland | TIME.com](<a href=“http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/04/a-new-marijuana-plant-without-the-high-it-could-be-good-medicine/]A”>A New Marijuana Plant Without the High? It Could Be Good Medicine | TIME.com)
I also am prescribed vvyanse to aid in the extreme tiredness that the fibromyalgia causes, without it I would barely be able to get out of bed.</p>

<p>I agree that people who do not have a diagnosed condition should not take a drug meant for people who do. While some meds are often used for off - label conditions, you still need a Dr to help determine if that treatment is right for you.</p>

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<p>One thing I’ve learned as a parent is that it’s a very bad idea to give absolutes about what you’ll do if/when you become a parent, or what you’ll do when your child is X years old. Another thing I’ve learned about being a parent is that it’s a bad idea to make snap judgements without knowing the entire story. The parent posting about a daughter using Vyvanse and Adderall didn’t say that the child wasn’t diagnosed with an LD issue. </p>

<p>It took our family years of trying everything possible except medication before coming to the conclusion that the best thing for D2 would be to use meds. We switched health plans at this time. When the new pediatrician was going over D2’s health history with me, it was crystal clear that the doctor thought we’d just merrily loaded D2 up with all kinds of prescriptions as a quick fix. It still infuriates me.</p>

<p>@SlitheyTove I admit that statement of mine appears extreme, but my intent in the highlighted statement is that if I have children, I will teach them to realize that test scores are not everything in life and that drugs are not the answer to more success/happiness. I’m not saying that these are the ideas the mother is teaching to her daughter, but in general that is what I am compelled to do after reading her reply and the actual article. In context of my reply, I am addressing my surprise over her acceptance of her daughter’s drug consumption. As she mentions phrases such as “[the daughter] does take Adderall during long nights of homework and study,” she implies that her daughter takes Adderall/etc. for academics. However, I did recognize the possibility that the daughter may have had actual medical issues with the conditional statement of: “If…she does not suffer from any true psychogical disorder…” That is, I would take back my words if there is actually a medical situation. Nevertheless, as worded currently, I interpret the mother’s statement as a claim that consuming these drugs is an acceptable method for achieving higher scores. My opinion differs from hers, clearly, but I will not continue to argue my opinion because in the end the choice is the family’s not mine and there may be some family concerns left unmentioned. I simply wanted to suggest the health and moral concerns I perceive based upon what I read. Again, I apologize if my statement came out strong; I was somewhat upset at the time when I wrote it.</p>

<p>I’m even seeing professionals taking it because they say that it improves their focus. I don’t really think that’s a great thing at all.</p>

<p>There is a neuropenephrine reuptake inhibitor called strattera which is very effective for those who have not already had the amphetamines. (those who’ve had the amphetamines don’t take to it, as it takes about 4 weeks for enough of the drug to build up in the system for it to take effect.) It’s not a stimulant, and it works the same was as SSRI’s, but only on the neuropenephrine.</p>

<p>An added benefit is that the mild dysthemia commonly accompanying ADHD, particularly the primarily inattentive variety, is also treated in many cases.</p>

<p>I completely disagree with those professionals who believe the dx should continue to be attached to age. This may be the case for those with the hyperactive variety, but those with ADHD-primarily inattentive, do not annoy adults or teachers enough to be dx’d until they are drowning in unfinishable and unapproachable large projects they can no longer cope with. IMHO, primarily inattentive is very frequently dx’d late.</p>

<p>YMMV</p>

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<p>Did you ever study any chemistry? Why do you think it’s such a breach of ethics? People naturally have different spatial distributions of neurochemicals and receptors, and I don’t see what’s wrong with transhumanism - taking a substance to improve one’s cognition to put one on an equal footing where one is disadvantaged. You’re probably one of those folks who dislike genetic engineering because you think it interferes with “the natural order of things” don’t you? How is taking a stimulant any different from eating nutritional supplements (which you can overdose on and are not always completely healthy?), or drinking coffee to motivate oneself to work? (Caffeine is psychoactive).</p>

<p>Nature is cruel, nasty and brutish and some people were born with bad dice – it wasn’t their fault. Why should they get stuck with it? There is nothing morally wrong with improving one’s own cognition and performance with study drugs. One should be aware of the health risks, but they aren’t harming anyone. Even the Kantian categorical imperative supports the individual’s right to use study drugs, legality aside (legality is not morality).</p>

<p>I suffer from severe depression and have schizoaffective/psychotic symptoms when stressed which plunge me into a vicious cycle of chaos and anxiety and inability to concentrate. I have to take 450 mg / day wellbutrin (maximum suggested dose) and 2 mg / day risperdal. Basically, Nature gave me the short end of the straw. I have no sympathy for parents like you who appeal to the “natural order of things” and urge struggling students to “know their place” rather than try to strive to perform beyond their natural talents. Because Nature sucks, and every person should have every right to spite it and escape from it.</p>

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<p>Academics is not the Olympics. Academics is about the pursuit of the mind, and every person should pursue all means to improve his or her mind. It’s ridiculous to suggest that using study drugs is analogous to cheating. Looking at someone else’s test or stealing the answer key is cheating, because the mind is not improved. But someone who takes a study drug still has to do all the work. The mind is improved. The student learns. </p>

<p>Those who suggest it’s cheating or somehow morally wrong are simply biochemically-bigoted individuals who believe they have the right to tyrannise the social order simply because they think their natural-born neurochemistry makes them superior and that all artificial methods of augmenting one’s neurochemistry should be banned.</p>

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<p>____ nature. Nature is naturally, unfair.</p>

<p>@evitaperon, your comments are a breath of fresh air in this thread!</p>

<p>You know what really ticks me off? Those cheaters who do better on tests because their brain development in utero was enhanced by their mothers’ constant popping of pregnancy vitamins! It’s sooo unfair!</p>

<p>The following Time magazine article puts some perspective on the NYT’s sensationalistic piece:
[Teens</a> Taking ADHD Drugs to Get Good Grades: How Big a Problem Is It? | Healthland | TIME.com](<a href=“http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/11/kids-taking-adhd-drugs-to-get-good-grades-how-big-a-problem-is-it/]Teens”>Teens Taking ADHD Drugs to Get Good Grades: How Big a Problem Is It? | TIME.com)</p>

<p>There is a negative though: I’ve heard of people using adderall as a study aid and then getting hooked on spending hours on facebook or a news site by accident.</p>

<p>The important thing to note is if you don’t need it, you probably shouldn’t use it - getting good grades in classes is mostly about concentrating on your work and being a good listener at lectures. </p>

<p>I’m not sure that getting As in say, calculus is tied to natural ability but rather (1) that you really want to do it, and (2) that you dedicate to it.</p>

<p>Some people were born taller and better than me at basketball. can we chop off their legs please?</p>

<p>“I’m not sure that getting As in say, calculus is tied to natural ability but rather (1) that you really want to do it, and (2) that you dedicate to it.”</p>

<p>Natural Ability does play a very significant role in how well you do in Calculus. There are probably exceptions but generally if you received a Math SAT score of less than 600, Calculus for Math, Physical Science and Engineering majors is going to be a real struggle for you whether you are at a UC or a CSU. On the other hand if your Math SAT score was over 700 you have the potential to do well in the course if you apply yourself.</p>

<p>That has an important relationship to drugs like Adderal and Ritalin. While it is uncertain if they can really improve your ability to do Calculus there is little doubt that they increase your motivation to study and help you study longer and more intensely.</p>

<p>Regardless of what the statistics that Time has dug up point to, I still believe there is a lot of truth in what the NYT says. I attend a CT boarding school, and Adderall XR is much, much too easy to obtain. If it weren’t, I believe students would put more time and effort into their academics, as getting away with last-minute cramming is very hard without stimulants. I can’t comprehend why several people on this forum are reluctant to condemn the use and prevalence of these pills - surely you wouldn’t want your kid to become dependent on a drug at such an early age? </p>

<p>@choatecolate - What’s your point? Also, when did you graduate from Choate?</p>

<p>@Lemaitre1 - There’s hardly a correlation between a person’s SAT math score and his ability at Calculus. The way the material is put forth in a Calc class and in the SAT is so drastically different that you can hardly compare the two.</p>

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<p>Who says that people on study drugs don’t put in more time and effort? They can study more intensely, and their studying rate dS/dt is higher.</p>

<p>I find it hard to believe that people are SERIOUSLY promoting the use of these drugs that are especially dangerous to the immature brain - those under 25.</p>

<p>I find it especially disconcerting that someone is claiming to be a medical doctor and promoting these drugs - even if he/she adds disclaimers. This is a forum read by young kids.
What is your problem? Perhaps the stroke you discuss resulted in you having poor judgement.</p>

<p>I suggest you review the Hippocratic Oath.</p>

<p>As to others who claim to have mental illnesses - perhaps your symptoms would be less if you stayed away from party drugs that are well known to CAUSE SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS.</p>

<p>I don’t know where you went to school, but the science in your above post does not make sense. Study drug doses and abuse (euphoria-chasing) doses are quite two different doses, even for common study drugs, and then there are non-dopaminergic study drugs (modafinil) which have no dopamine toxicity at all, and very little addiction potential. Also the threshold of brain maturity is not 25, but even if it was, younger brains are more neuroplastic and have more vigourous stem cells and therefore more likely to recover from any sort of brain damage, the chance of which is slight as long as recommended dosage is never exceeded.</p>

<p>The phenomenon of late brain maturity you refer to may be the result of a handful of studies which suggest that younger individuals have cooler prefrontal cortexes than older individuals, but does not at all correlate with susceptibility to study drug damage, as there would be no mechanism for the age differentiation.</p>

<p>@evitaperon Yeah, but truly applied, intellectual students shouldn’t have to unnatural methods. Our culture is too centered around drugs…
Also, there is the moral argument… A student’s use of Adderall, Ritalin, and all those other meds (or even coke, pretty common nowadays) is, in my mind, analogous to an athlete taking steroids…</p>