Every now and again I stumble across an amazing documentary and this week it was Take Your Pills on Netflix. The programme delves deep into the extensive use of the stimulant drug Adderall in America.
Banned in the UK and considered a Class B illegal substance, Adderall is prescribed to adults and children across the U.S. who have been diagnosed with some form of ADHD.
What this documentary worryingly points out is not just the widely accepted usage of the drug first and foremost before any other treatments, therapies or alternatives are considered but the extent to which people will go to in order to acquire it.
From students and sports stars to software programmers and stock brokers the rise in ADHD patients across America isn’t necessarily the increased awareness of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but shockingly the increased need for everyday people to supercharge their brain’s cognitive abilities.
Adderall is a stimulant amphetamine and Ritalin (also widely used in America) is a methylphenidate, both are central nervous system stimulants. The effects of Ritalin, which gained the street name “mummy’s little helper” some years ago, tend to be the milder of the two.
In the UK, although Adderall is not approved for prescription, amphetamines such as dexamfetamine and lisdexamfetamine are prescribed for patients with ADHD. Various brands of methylphenidate and norepinephrin (atomoxetine), all of which are stimulants of some degree or another, are also given out.
While the programme focuses only on American culture it did, however, bring up some interesting cultural and societal movements that, without a doubt, are likely sweeping the UK and Ireland as well.
One expert in the documentary pointed out that it wasn’t that more people were born with ADHD but rather more and more people were being forced to compete in an “ADHD world”. He believes that distractions coming from all directions in our lives were forcing us to behave, interact and engage with the world in a way that could be considered similar to someone who genuinely had ADHD themselves.
As someone who is hyper-connected to my surroundings, who multi-tasks on ridiculous levels (that even I know are unsustainable) and who gets varying degrees of withdrawal when not “connected” I completely understand this growing need to “raise the game”. I completely understand what the attraction is for people who choose to use stimulants of any kind.
For years I was an adrenaline junkie, I couldn’t function without a deadline in my life and, if I’m honest, I didn’t want to. Thankfully, I was never interested in drugs and I never got into drinking coffee. But, there was that time during my A-Levels when I was completely addicted to Pro-Plus caffeine tablets. Not just that, in my mid-20s I had a spell of being low-level addicted to Lucozade. And, for many many years I was totally and utterly addicted to my natural adrenaline.
As I hurtle towards 40 I’ve had to slow down. I’ve a five year old child now and more responsibilities than ever before. That lifestyle I loved had to take a backseat, not because of the five year old or the responsibilities or my age, but because of my health. I’m just not capable of 14-16 hour days at high speed working on 20 projects at once and zooming round the country like a crazy person fuelled by my own natural adrenaline.
Today, I’m just as satisfied with my work, I still work long hours and very hard and still have lots of new and exciting projects. However, I rest (maybe not as much as I should) and I try to enjoy life a little better.
The question is, what would have happened if I had have been the type of person who would have and could have got my hands on stimulants? What if I had have been the type of person who couldn’t adapt to the changing pace of my life? I dread to think. I won’t lie, watching the programme I wondered was Adderall like the fictional NZT pill from the Limitless movie and TV series, I wondered what it would do for me…
So what is it that stops me from “trying it out”? I’ve always been anti-drugs, I’ll not lie I’ve dabbled a couple of times in my life out of curiosity and never found a reason to try again, but I don’t think that’s it.
I believe it’s a combination of a few things. And whilst I’m not trying to say these things should be considered as sole cures or treatments for people who genuinely have ADHD, what I am saying is that they may help those people who feel the need to turn to a pill they aren’t supposed to take in the first place.
First on my list was looking into myself. Over the last 10 years I’ve done a lot of soul searching, I’ve faced many things about myself that I didn’t want to face and I’ve considered whether or not I was happy with all aspects of me. From my personality and how I looked to how I thought about myself and how I interacted with others. I started considering myself as important as well as other people, it wasn’t a selfish act but rather a way for me to be well enough to continue to do the things I liked doing for others.
And lastly, the most important, I embraced my naturally positive attitude and mindset, I coupled that with the principles of Mindfulness and I took time to embrace, acknowledge and be grateful for everything around me. Believe it or not from that I get a great deal of focus, stimulus and drive to continue being who I want to be and doing what I want to do.
Rather than teaching our young people that they have to take drugs to compete in this competitive world, maybe we should be equipping them with the mental, emotional, physical and practical tools by which they can really embrace, engage and use their talents and cognitive abilities to become the best versions of themselves they can be.