A Better Today
ADHD &
Substance Abuse
CNS Stimulant Medication and Substance Abuse Addiction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become one of the most controversial diagnosis’s and disorders to treat. The diagnosis has been around for over half a century; however, its prevalence has increased so dramatically in recent years that the legitimacy of the diagnosis has come to be debated.
The center of the ADHD controversy seems to center around the most common form of treatment for the disorder, namely prescription drugs. The nature of the prescription drugs used to treat ADHD make having a diagnosis of the disorder an advantage, at least in the eyes of some. Prescription amphetamines are the most commonly used type of pharmaceutical in ADHD treatment and these drugs will give anyone an edge.
Millions of kids go to school taking the drug, making using pharmaceuticals to get ahead in school and life a near commonplace scenario. It might not be surprising, then, when the next kid sees how much better he or she can do with the help of prescription ADHD medication.
The biggest problem of all may not be the terrible life lesson that turning to drugs to fix a problem teaches, but instead, it’s that drugs used to treat ADHD are highly addictive. People start them early in school and may spend the remainder of their lives trying to manage a complex system of substances just to function, believing that they are necessary.