Adderall a Miracle Drug to College Students

CHICAGO, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Adderall is a drug widely reported to increase alertness, concentration and overall cognitive performance, while decreasing fatigue – but it is also a drug widely abused across college campuses. During final exams time and throughout the year, students are consuming this highly addictive drug in order to study, as well as in many cases to lose weight due to the loss of appetite realized when Adderall is taken.

Prescribed on a regular basis to treat ADHD and ADD, Adderall is being sold and handed out in mass quantities to individuals with no prescriptions. The problem is getting worse and Kimberly Dennis, M.D., Medical Director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, wants to spread the word about the harmful effects of this drug.

"Adderall is over prescribed to all populations, by general psychiatrists and even addiction psychiatrists, without informed consent or understanding by the psychiatrist of dependency risks," said Dr. Dennis. "Many people with addictions and eating disorders seek out psychiatrists who will give them Adderall prescriptions with little to no therapy, diagnostic detail or consideration of non-medication alternatives."

The problem has been researched by The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, who in a 2009 survey found that, "full-time college students aged 18 to 22 were twice as likely as their counterparts who were not full-time college students to have used Adderall non-medically in the past year."

Dr. Dennis believes the best medication for attention deficit disorder is ongoing, consistent and loving therapeutic attention. Due diligence must be done by professionals to decrease the amount of these prescriptions handed out, and subsequently decrease the amount of abuse widely seen on college campuses. And education to college students on the drug's addictive nature is key to stopping the severity of abuse being seen.

Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center is located on 43 beautiful acres just outside Chicago, offering a nurturing environment of recovery for women ages 12 and older struggling to overcome eating disorders, substance abuse, mood disorders and co-occurring disorders. By serving with uncompromising care, relentless compassion and an unconditional joyful spirit, we help our residents help themselves in their recovery. For more information, visit www.timberlineknolls.com or call 877.257.9611.

SOURCE Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center