Modafinil: a prescription-only medication for narcolepsy that the NHS’s website describes as “a central nervous system stimulant” that prevents “excessive sleepiness during daytime hours”. Or, used off-label, bought via some off-shore pharmaceutical retailer, it’s what’s known as a “smart drug”. I hadn’t even heard of it a week ago, but it turns out they’re all on it, the students.
Link: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/15/students-smart-drugs-higher-grades-adderall-modafinil
What are your thoughts on it?
It’s all about your perspective. I have a lot of experience with these “smart drugs” even without a diagnosis of ADHD and there’s a lot to consider. First off, you really have to be able to be flexible with the doses and how often you take it to not develop tolerance (need more and more of it to feel the same effects), withdrawal effects, and taking too much that you reverse the effects.
The reasons behind why so many college kids take it does make complete sense. It’s pretty reflective on the exponentially increasing competition and pressure to succeed at the highest of your potential to be worth something. Not shocking, but for me personally I have had really awful short term memory because of it- like I legitimately CANNOT remember what I did the day before, or two days before, or what I ate for breakfast. It’s crazy. But it makes you feel good because of its increase of dopamine flux in the brain and also it helps you concentrate- obviously.
I am not sure as to the specific differences between modafinil and adderall, but I can imagine the effects are the same.
Question is if you’re open-minded to take risks for higher rewards- take basically mild meth (amphetamines obv.) to get higher grades and better retention of the class’ material. Or if your morals are to be clean and to do things the right way. I think it is in a way cheating but trust me all of us who have gleamed about its benefits have yet to learn of its long-term effects of the brain which I imagine are just rewiring gratification effects in a way that you feel beaten down without it. But again, tinkering with doses and not taking it every other day or every day is an issue of mind over matter. Also, we already suffer the consequences by “crashing” after a study binge, like needing to sleep more hours and potentially feeling groggy so the behavior becomes cyclical. Interesting you brought it up, I hope I kind of answered your question?
It’s a multifaceted epidemic that is happening.
Psychiatric medications treat actual disorders in nervous system chemistry. If that chemistry is imbalanced, you may have a disorder such as ADHD or narcolepsy. If you intentionally knock your chemistry out of balance in the opposite direction, there will still be problems. The human brain evolved over millions of years, changing the function of your brain without any medical evidence to back up the benefits is ridiculous.
@grimmghost: Firstly, I would like to start off by saying that I’ve heard (I won’t be able to back my sentences with some sort of proof) taking modafinil or modalert is no joke. It must be taken at same particular time - depending on one’s situation; however, for an average human, who do not have late-night shifts, can take it in the morning. Depending on your body-mass index, the different level of doses can be applied.
Secondly, I would say that these are (almost) bullet-proof pure medication to boost the study experience because let’s face it: why will one spend an hour on an assignment that would take 15-30 minutes with Modafinil. I’m sorry to hear that you went through short-term memory loss, but if this happened due to this medication - do let me know! As far as I see it, I smell no harm in using it just for education purpose.
Thirdly, one can’t compare modafinil and adderall with each other. They are both different, although used for similar purpose. According to many articles on adderall, people happen to have greater chances to face side-effects, yet the side-effects for modafinil are rarely experience (not saying there are no side-effects, but its more secure in a way, I suppose).
Why do you think it’s safe to alter the chemistry of a healthy brain whose long-term effects are not fully studied, and which may not even be beneficial for students with normal brain function?
This is just plain sad and dangerous.
@NorthernMom61: You’re absolutely right - those are the initial thoughts; however, due to minimal side-effects, which is rarely recorded, students find Modafinil, or even, Modalert a great pill to stabilize their mind.
@usualhopeful: I understand that you are taking a stand against it and the usage of it, but the patients (as I would refer to them) utilize it according to their needs (Don’t be mistaken into thinking that I, personally, am supporting either of sides; just mere reflection).
I am not here to justify the use, or abuse rather, of either of these drugs. I am simply giving my insight on them and while the brain has evolved to be the most complex organ in the world since life had started, @usualhopeful mentioned it is not good to eff around with that. Using it to study better is recreational that I do admit to, I never said it was okay, funny, or healthy.
However @usualhopeful to say that if you do have that chemical imbalance (whatever a vague phrase like this is supposed to imply, we still have yet to pinpoint which neurotransmitters are acting in deviation from normal functioning) then you might have the disorder-- IS A VERY DANGEROUS IDEA TO SPREAD. A LICENSED medical professional should be the one to IDENTIFY a disorder and only at the worst case of the spectrum advise by prognosis a medication as habit-forming as modafinil, ritalin, adderall, or dexedrin.
It was based on the article @KaranMIT provided that I had determined that the effects of Modafinil are starkly similar to Adderall, of course each pharmocokinetic response yield different responses- it does not mean they target different disorders because that is simply not true.
Physiological responses are relative to the person taking the drug and studies demonstrating that modafinil “isn’t as harmful” as the side-effects are pseudoscience that is subjective and NOT backed up the FDA. Please be careful with your words is all I’m trying to say- ideas of the internet are very influential.
This is not personal at all and please don’t take it the wrong way. Just please be very thorough with the sources of your information, potential bias in your perspective and response, as well as how it can be interpreted by many who are reading your ideas and let them make an impression on them without giving you their response to what you had written.
Using it for just education purposes IS DRUG ABUSE. If you do not have the disorder, as determined by a medical professional, you are changing the responses of your reward system- the substantia niagra and nucleus accumbens/the happy place (look it up, lots of studies in rats with amphetamines) specifically with how dopamine is released and sustained in your brain.
There is MUCH danger in using this recreationally as the article you referenced really emphasized- that students start taking this more intensely and frequently with much oblivion in their forming addiction to an amphetamine.
Please realize the reality of your opinion, try weaning off of it if you are experimenting with it at the moment and get help if necessary, any drug can be a gateway drug. Addictions don’t start with heroin, or high doses. It’s all gradual. I come from a family of drug addiction, particularly of my parents and oxycodone. It’s not something to be regarded as something that isn’t too good to be true. Everything comes with a price.
I do experience short term memory loss because of adderall. I fortunately stopped myself by being honest with myself before being dependent on it “the minute I wake up” http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/15/students-smart-drugs-higher-grades-adderall-modafinil as a college student towards the end of the article mentions. @KaranMIT
Life only gets more demanding and stressful with pressure and obligations, if you think you need a substance of ANY SORT to make sure you perform well, it is a red flag of a potentially forming addiction THAT WILL PROGRESS if you do not stop it before it stops YOU.
Sorry if I seem crazy, I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else. I hope you understand and I come from a good place in my heart of caring for the best of your mental well-being- not needing 20 mg of adderall just to feel “fine” because you feel like a narcoleptic zombie without it.
A good way to tell if you are already in the habit of dependence with an amphetamine like modafinil or adderall is that you feel the things it is supposed to treat without it and inappropriately (as in artificially) euphoric and anxious. Be honest with yourself, it is the least you can do for your future.
There is no way to justify using a prescription drug for a nonprescribed use no matter how few side effects there are or how many people are already doing it. And even if it were an OTC drug, if it was being used in a manner that it is not prescribed for then it is still very risky.
Using substances that are mind altering is a slippery slope. Some people make it to the top of the slope unscathed while others crash and burn. An no matter what the positive effects there are always negative effects as using medications is always a benefit to risk ratio. Sometimes the negative affects take years to manifest.
Drugs have a way of ruining lives and most people who enjoy them, whether or not they are addicted to them believe that the negative consequences won’t happen to them. Just take a look at photos of people who have been using meth for a few years. These are easily found on the internet. How do you know today whether or not regular use of this upper won’t have the same beautifying effects. Just stop and think if you know anyone who has been gravely affected by someone in their life, or themselves for that matter, for abusing alcohol. Most of us do, and it isn’t pretty.
Denial is not just a river in Egypt.